Jewelry care tips and tricks

Jewelry care tips and tricks
March 13, 2023
Jewelry care tips and tricks

Taking care of the precious things in our lives is something every person should strive to do. Jewelry is no exception as they have special memories and moments attached to them. Whether it be your wedding ring or a flower necklace he gave you 15 years ago, it's important to take care of your jewelry. We hope that someday you would want your jewelry collection to become family heirlooms. So, keeping them in good condition will guarantee your children can experience them in all their luster for years to come.

Best Tips and tricks for keeping your jewelry in good condition

Keep your jewelry away from excessive heat:

A lot of precious gemstones can actually be damaged beyond repair if they are exposed to an open flame. Emeralds for example can become cloudy when exposed to even a little bit of close contact with fire. Additionally, pearls can even crack and shatter under excessive heat. Even though not all gemstones are this sensitive to heat, it's important to treat your jewelry with the utmost respect and care.

Keep your jewelry away from excessive light: We have a wonderful invention called sunscreen that works great on human skin, but what about our jewelry. Like skin, jewelry is sensitive to sunlight too. Unfortunately, jewelry does not have a magical sunscreen that can stop it from being damaged, so you have to be careful not to expose your jewelry to excessive sunlight. In excess, sunlight will alter the color and luster of your gemstone. If you store your jewelry openly and near a sunny window you might want to consider getting a jewelry box to protect your precious stones from Ultra-Violet Radiation.

Avoid Harmful chemicals

From floor cleaners to chlorine, your precious jewelry is vulnerable to harmful chemicals. Prolonged exposure to harmful chemicals can lead to erosion and other chemical damage like discoloration. Platinum, gold, and silver can lose their luster when exposed to these chemicals so please keep that in mind next time you jump into a chlorine-filled pool. It's much easier to take the jewelry off before jumping in the pool than it is to take a visit to the jewelry store to get your ring fixed.

Avoiding chemical damage is easier than you might think. If you plan on cleaning around the house with a chemical cleaner simply remove your jewelry and store them away in a safe place. You help yourself out in two ways here by doing this. One, the chemicals cannot reach your diamonds, and two you won't accidentally lose the jewelry while cleaning, especially if it's a ring. It's super easy to put your jewelry back in its case while you clean, but it's super hard to have to locate a lost item or worse get it replaced because of chemical damage. Trust us, you don’t want chemicals like bleach pitting your gold as it looks unpleasant.

Store your jewelry in a safe space.

As early as the 4th-century humans have developed ways to store and protect their precious jewelry. Furthermore, there is a reason jewelry boxes have continued to exist for centuries, it simply works!

Jewelry boxes are great for not only blocking out the harmful UV radiation that might damage jewelry but also for protecting the rings from getting scratched or worn out. A good jewelry box will have individual padding to keep each piece separate from the other so they don’t jostle around and scratch each other.

If you travel a lot, it might be a smart idea to get a safety deposit box to store your precious pieces while you are away or to invest in a high-quality jewelry traveling case, preferably with a lock.

Speaking of safety, it's important to insure your jewelry in the event it gets lost, stolen, or damaged. We all know accidents happen, we are all human after all, so it's smart to plan ahead and get on an insurance plan for your jewelry.

Jewelry cleaning and maintenance

The easiest and most simple cleaning methods are often the best when it comes to jewelry. In fact, soap and water are all you really need to clean your jewelry at home.

At-home dish soap is the best soap for your jewelry as it does not have harmful chemicals that will corrode your piece. If you plan on cleaning your jewelry, it's first important to know the best methods for your specific stone. Diamonds for example can be cleaned by pouring boiling water and soap into a bowl and letting the ring sit for about 15-20 minutes. Next, because diamonds are such a hard stone you can then use a very soft toothbrush (the ones used for baby teeth) and gently brush off any grim or dirt.

However, unlike diamonds, semi-precious stones like emerald and sapphire might crack under boiling temperatures. To make things worse softer stones like pearls scratch super easily so using a toothbrush to clean the stone is not an option as it will damage the pearl. Therefore, it's important to do some research and find out what methods are best for cleaning your individual piece. Check out our “Jewelry Cleaning tips” article to find out what to do for your specific jewelry, stone, or metal.

Bring your jewelry in to get professionally cleaned.

Like us, our jewelry needs to get a check-up every once and a while. But instead of going to the doctor's office, your jewelry needs a visit to the jewelers. Getting your precious stones and rings professionally cleaned, polished, or replated is something that all responsible jewelry owners must do. I know, I know, it's yet another thing to add to the list of things to do, but think of it this way, if you neglect your ring, you will be neglecting its purpose. The last thing you want is to have your wedding ring slowly degrade from negligent care, it sends the wrong message.

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